The present invention relates generally to window fans and more particularly to a new and novel window fan.
Various types of window fans which utilize an electric motor and a fan driven by the motor for moving air in, out and/or around an enclosed space are well known. Quite frequently, special tools and mounting hardware, such as brackets, screws, and the like, are required to securely mount the window fan in a desired window opening.
In commonly-assigned Shin-Chin U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,496, which issued Mar. 2, 1993, there is disclosed a window fan which can be mounted in a window opening in either a double-hung window frame or a vertical slider window frame and which can be held securely in place without the use of additional hardware or mounting brackets. The window fan comprises a housing of generally rectangular shape, the housing including a front piece, a back piece and a pair of side extensions. The side extensions have outer edges sized and shaped to fit within the left and right side railings of a vertical slider window. Each one of the side extensions includes a pair of outer guides and a plurality of panels telescopically mounted within the outer guides. The side extensions extend out front the sides of the housing at about the rear edge so as to permit installation in windows having outer screens. A plurality of locking mechanisms are provided which, when in the closed position, keep the extenders locked at a desired extension and which, when in the open position, permit a ratchet-type extension or compression of the extenders. A pair of fan units are disposed within the housing in front of the back piece, the fan units having electrically reversible motors which are independently controllable so that either both fans can be used to intake air or to exhaust air or so that one fan unit can be used to intake air while the other fan unit is being used to exhaust air.
In commonly-assigned Shin-Chin U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,151, which issued Jun. 13, 1989, there is disclosed a fan which can be mounted in a window opening without using any tools, mounting hardware or special brackets or which can be used as a floor fan. The fan includes a pair of panel sections which are interconnected by a pair of hinge joints for pivotal movement relative to each other from a fully open position to a folded position. One of the hinge joints includes a mechanism for automatically snap-locking the two panel sections when they are at the fully open position at an angle of about 120 degrees. A pair of adjustable and lockable side extensions are provided, one attached to and extending out from each panel sections. A fan unit which includes a motor driven fan is pivotally attached to the panel sections for rotational movement relative thereto.
Other patents and publications of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,341,151, 4,222,318, 3,830,147, 3,019,718, 2,857,095, 2,805,820, 2,787,207, 2,733,002, 2,715,495, 2,580,663, 2,529,040, 2,373,497, 1,081,195, 1,307,449, 957,680, 547,996, Des. 179,726 and Australian Patent No. 235,520.